Our Mission

Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) is Canada’s longest running theatre company dedicated to the works of Black and diasporic communities. BTW’s mission is to promote and produce outstanding theatre that educates, entertains and inspires. The company strives to create greater cross-cultural understanding by challenging its audiences and the status quo. Expanding the representation of Black Canadian artists, BTW bridges cultural divides – uniting hearts, minds and communities.

About BLACK THEATRE WORKSHOP

Once an amateur theatre group known as the Trinidad and Tobago Drama Committee, Black Theatre Workshop was first incorporated as a non-profit company in 1972. Since then, BTW has produced spoken-word and innovative performance art, community-based work, plays by established Black and non-black playwrights, and commercially-viable productions. We present works primarily in English, occasionally in French, and have toured internationally.

The company’s artistic policy is to primarily program plays by Afro-Canadian playwrights, however plays are selected firstly on their artistic merit. While BTW continues to attract a diverse audience, plays are selected for their relevance to Black society and culture. This is in answer to the growing need amongst Black communities to see themselves reflected in the stories they watch and to further answer the need for general audiences to better understand and participate in the varied aspects of Black culture.